


The Ludwig Chronicles: The Childhood Years

by DialaG



Series: The Ludwig Quartet [1]
Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27489532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DialaG/pseuds/DialaG
Summary: Ludwig Von Koopa lives a quiet life with his mother on Glass Island, having lost his father in a tragic accident the previous year. Life is as normal as it can be for the child prodigy. He does not suspect that, under the tranquility of his life, an evil sorcerer has risen from a previous defeat with the intention of wiping out the Koopa species, nor does he know of the huge role that he is to play in the battle. A fan-made origin story.
Series: The Ludwig Quartet [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008828
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CobaltWizard](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=CobaltWizard).



Prologue

A violent storm raged across Glass Island, whipping up the surrounding sea and creating huge surges that battered the coast. Nestled atop a cliff, situated on the outskirts of Astrowatch, the islands main town, a small stone cottage stood. Inside this cottage, Edith Von Koopa cradled her son, Ludwig, in her arms. He was only a few weeks old, but she already loved him more than anything else in the world. The wind and rain had woken him from his slumber and frightened him, but as soon as his mother had lifted him up, he had calmed and now stared up at her with his inquisitive grey eyes.

Edith was of relatively short stature and had long, navy blue hair which reached her waist with her shell off. She was slim, had hazel eyes and a blue and green spiked shell. She sung as she cradled Ludwig in a wonderful soft voice to try and drown out the noise of the wind and rain which lashed the walls and widows.

She wandered over to the library at the back of the house and stared out of the window at the bleak world beyond it. Through the rain she could see the lights of Astrowatch, and beyond that, a grey patch of sky that was continually lit up by multicoloured flashes of light. She shuddered as she watched them break across the sky, each one signalling a possible victory, or defeat. Despite the seeming tranquillity of the town, a battle raged on in the distance between Silas and the Orphan King, and if the king lost, if they lost… Edith did not want to think about what would happen to them if that was the case.

The battle continued for what seemed like hours, although in reality only minutes had passed. Edith watched with bated breath, she had to know the outcome. 

Although it felt like forever, she did not have to wait long, for a warm orange glow appeared on the horizon, lingered for a few minutes, and exploded, bathing everything in white for less than a second, before vanishing altogether. The sky became dormant, and the storm receded.

She paced back and forth through the library, eventually deciding to sit in front of the grand piano. Lifting the fallboard, she played a few notes to try and soothe her nerves. The battle was over and she now had to wait and see who the victor was, however, if it were Silas, she and her son would most likely have been killed by now. Still, it was never wise to jump to conclusions.

Ludwig gurgled, blissfully unaware of the seriousness that surrounded him. He hit some of the keys with his pudgy hands, squealing in delight at the sounds they made. His happiness snapped Edith out of her trance and she beamed down at him. Perhaps he would grow up to be a famous musician?

A knock at the door made her jolt upright. She quickly ran over to it. If it were Silas, he would not have been so polite as to knock, he probably would have blasted the door clean off of its hinges. She undid the latch and opened the door to quite a sight. A group of a dozen Koopas stood before her, some battered and bruised, others bleeding and all very bedraggled from the earlier rain. She didn’t know the names of all of them but she recognised Verne Koopa, the mayor of the island, her husband’s two friends: Quinn and Daniel, who were supporting…

“Johann!”, she cried upon seeing her husband, warm relief flooding over her in a great wave. The troop moved inside their home, tracking mud everywhere, but at that moment, Edith couldn’t have cared less. Carpets and rugs could be replaced, but not her husband.

Quinn and Daniel deposited him on the sofa in their lounge and Edith assessed the damage. His fluffy green-blue hair was matted with dried blood and across his cheek was a long, but thankfully not too deep gash that would only scar lightly. “Vhat happened to him”, she questioned the group in her Germanic voice, as Johann appeared to be completely unconscious. They shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze, with no one looking as if they wanted to answer her. Eventually, Verne stepped forward.

“Mrs Von Koopa” he said gently, “we have won, for now. The Orphan King managed to force Silas into a retreat, despite the odds that were placed against him. But this victory has come with its drawbacks, as you can see.” He paused for a moment. “I’m sorry to tell you that Johann was hit by a very strong memory loss curse”.

The statement struck Edith like a rock being thrown against a pane of glass. She dropped into an armchair, clutching Ludwig tightly. The whole world seemed to be moving very quickly. “So - you’re telling me he von’t remember me – or our son?”.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds”, Quinn interjected, glaring at Verne and his blunt wording. “Johann hasn’t forgotten you. Kamek, the King’s guardian, managed to counteract most of the spells effects, however, he warned us that Johann may still become forgetful as he ages.” He fumbled around in his jacket pocket and produced a small glass bottle that contained a shimmering purple liquid. “Kamek said to make sure that Johann takes this potion when he wakes up. It’s a restoration potion that will help his memory further”.

Edith, although still shaken, felt greatly relieved by this knowledge and thanked the group, who departed shortly afterwards to go home to their own families, who would all be anxious to learn of the nights events. Once they had left, Edith put Ludwig, who had fallen asleep in her arms, back to bed and then returned to the lounge to watch over Johann. It was just before sunrise when he awakened. 

“Edith”, he whispered in a hoarse voice “Vhat happened? I remember Silas being right in front of me and then – my mind became - foggy” he raised a hand and placed it on his temple.

She recounted to him everything that she had been told. Johann frowned, “I am sorry for vorrying you” he said.

“You don’t need to apologise! You’re alive and you’re home, that’s vhat matters most”. She hugged him fiercely and they watched the sunrise together, vowing that, no matter what the future held, they would protect Ludwig at all costs, so that he could have a happy, peaceful life.


	2. The Return and The Visitor

Chapter One

Nine years later.

Ludwig awoke to a sunny morning and clambered out of his bed, his stubby little legs straining to reach the ground. Upon reaching the floor, he went about his morning rituals: making his bed, washing his face, parting and combing his hair, the last of which always took him a while to complete, as his hair was always horribly tangled first thing in the morning. Upon completing these, he made his way downstairs, pausing to say good morning to a picture of his father that he kept on his bedside table.

“Good Morning, Luddy!”, his mother exclaimed as he arrived in the kitchen. “Did you sleep vell?”

“Yes, thank you” he replied in his polite tone, beaming. His mother was his world, wherever she went she exuded happiness. He hugged her and she ruffled his fluffy blue hair. “My little prince”, she murmured. Ever since his father had been killed in a freak accident just over a year ago, Ludwig and his mother had relied on themselves to keep the other going. Ludwig still struggled with nightmares over what had happened that day, which was still fresh in his mind.

His mother styled his hair for him in its signature Beethoven style, humming to herself as she did so. Music had always been an important part of his family and Ludwig could not picture a world without it. He was described as a prodigy by his teachers, coming top in all of his classes and excelling in music. At only nine years old he had already mastered the piano and had even begun composing his own symphonies as an outlet for the grief and guilt that his father’s death had caused. He also had an excellent singing voice, but this was hardly ever heard by anyone save his mother or himself, as Ludwig was a painfully shy young Koopa. At school he had no friends and spent most of his time poring over books and homework as a way to avoid others. His father’s death had led to him isolating himself further in the past few months than he did already, and his mother was beginning to worry about him, for the moment however, she let him be. ‘We all feel grief in different ways’, was her reasoning.

As soon as she had finished styling his hair, Ludwig ate his breakfast, which was pancakes, one of his favourites. He cleared his plate away and went back upstairs to make sure his schoolbag was ready. He had packed it the night before but he always liked to choose a couple of extra books to put in for extra reading, what he chose depended on his mood. Today, he felt scientific and therefore opted to bring with him ‘A Beginners Guide to Airship Architecture’ and ‘A Koopa’s History of Science’, both of which fascinated him. Ludwig aspired to one day create his own airship, being able to take to the skies whenever he wished seemed an amazing thing to be able to do, as well as this, he also aspired to be an inventor, a scientist and a musician, all of which he was more than capable of. 

His ability to learn was noticed the moment he began school, at only four years old. He would always finish his schoolwork well before any of his classmates and was always at the top of the class. His teachers gave him extra tasks which he eagerly worked through but appeared to find unchallenging, thus it was decided when Ludwig was seven that he would be transferred to the senior school and begin lessons there. He was currently in his second year there and was still at the top of all his classes, winning many awards throughout the year, including a full sweep of the core subject awards: Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, at the annual prizegiving, which was held at the end of the year. This had led a great deal of his classmates to shun him out of jealousy, but Ludwig did not mind this at all due to his shyness and lack of self-confidence. 

He finished packing his books and lifted his rucksack, which now felt like it contained a pile of bricks, onto his back. He managed to balance it on the spike of his shell, for the moment he only had a single spike, but more would grow in as he got older. He glanced again at the photograph of Johann on the way out, but the memories of his death came flooding back, each and every one reminding Ludwig that, had he not asked his father to take him fishing, he wouldn’t have drowned when the boat capsized and knocked him unconscious. He had tried to drag him back to shore, but a huge wave had crashed into him, causing Ludwig to lose his grip and watch as his father was dragged back out into the lake.

He shook his head, breaking free of the trance he had entered. “Think good thoughts”, his mother had told him “and everything will be alright”. Ludwig closed his eyes and focused on all of the good memories he had of his father, but the sharp sting of tears caused him to abandon ship and hurry downstairs, blinking them back before he got to the kitchen to say goodbye to his mother. He had to be strong, for her sake.

She handed him his lunch bag at the door and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. “Have a good day Luddy, my little prince” she said, wrapping him in a warm embrace “and remember, you can always leave the lesson if everything gets too overwhelming”. He nodded, holding on to her tightly, afraid to let her go. 

Edith watched him waddle up the garden path, before retreating back indoors. She had been worried of late. Things were happening all over the island that could not be explained. Three days ago, a couple of residents had vanished into thin air and just a few days before that, a huge wave had appeared out of nowhere and crashed upon the shores of a well- known beach. Four Koopas were still unaccounted for.

“Edith.”

She whipped around and saw Verne standing in the doorway, a look of exhaustion and pure terror on his face.

“Vhat is it?” she questioned, alarm beginning to creep in. What had happened now?

“You need to come to Silverlake – now – there’s been an incident”.  
***  
Glass Island was named for the crystal-clear waters that surrounded it, which, on sunny days, reflected light on its pale blue cliffs, making it appear that the island itself was made of glass, like one huge multicoloured kaleidoscope.

The journey to Ludwig’s school was a particularly pleasant one. It took him along the north coast of the island, where he could gaze out at the huge expanse of glittering waters that lay beyond the shore. He attended Pine Grove, the only school on the island. It was an exceedingly small school that catered to only a couple of hundred children, due to the population of Glass Island being rather small. All permanent residents of Glass Island were Koopas, the dominant species. The only time Ludwig had interacted with another species had been three years ago when a ship had docked at Starlight Cove, the islands main port. It was a ship containing a mixture of Shy Guys and Goombas who had come to trade goods with the island. Ludwig had been afraid of the Goombas, they were very loud and always appeared to be angry from what Ludwig could ascertain, not being able to speak any Goomba himself. Predominantly, he spoke English and German. His father had conversed with a group of Shy Guys, something that had surprised Ludwig. He was amazed by the certainty of his father’s speech, he had no idea his father could speak Shy Guy fluently, but he talked as if they were good friends. Ludwig had never asked how he came to learn the language, but it had interested him ever since.

Pine Grove School was a stately building that had been very well maintained, it was divided into four ‘wings’ and had a large courtyard strewn with trees in the centre, where the students could go during break to get some fresh air. Ludwig headed to ‘East Wing’, where his form room was located and sat down at the front of the class, pulling out his mechanical engineering book as he did so. As any student or teacher would tell you, when it came to school, Ludwig Von Koopa was first in and last out, such was his passion for learning. He always enjoyed going into school early as it gave him the chance to do some quiet reading before his rowdy classmates arrived. Unfortunately, today he was not alone.

“Hullo, Toothwig.”

Ludwig did not turn around but he knew who was speaking. Elliot Koopa had thus far made his senior school life a misery. He made fun of Ludwig every chance he got when the teachers had their backs turned. It had all started during one of his first lessons as a senior student. They had both been in a music lesson together and the teacher had suggested that they all experiment with an instrument they had not played before. Ludwig decided he would try and play a clarinet, as he had never used a woodwind instrument before but thought that they sounded delightful. Unfortunately, his overbite meant that he couldn’t blow into the instrument properly as his large front tooth got in the way. Half of the class had laughed at him, led by Elliot, who had chanted “Toothwig” at him, a name which had since stuck. Ludwig did not understand why he had to have an overbite, his parents didn’t have one and he thought it all very unfair.

He didn’t reply to Elliot’s remark, choosing to continue his book instead. For a moment it looked like Elliot might walk over and grab the book, but a few of his friends arrived and he went off to chat with them instead. Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief.  
***  
“Vhat has happened now?” Edith questioned as she strode alongside Verne “Have there been more disappearances?”

Verne seemed to be fighting some sort of inward battle and therefore refrained from answering any of her questions. Edith tried to keep herself calm, but the silence between them led to a creeping feeling of dread. 

Eventually they arrived at Silverlake, a small settlement to the south of the islands main water source, a large lake that was called ‘Sunset Waters’. All of the places on Glass Island had rather whimsical names about them, which added to its magical appearance. Sometimes, Edith reflected, walking across the island was like walking through a dream. 

Today, however, things were taking a nightmarish turn. Not only was Sunset Waters the site of Johann’s death almost a year ago, but Silverlake itself was still, not a sound emerged from the group of houses, which were normally bustling with life.  
Verne looked at her regretfully, what he had to say was clearly far more serious than she had anticipated.

“I’m sorry for troubling you with this,” he said at last “but I didn’t know who else to call, Quinn and Daniel are here as well” he indicated to a large house, where two figures were standing outside, conversing. Edith walked over towards them. Both of their faces were very pale and Quinn looked like he was about to be sick.

“Vhat’s happened?” she demanded, determined to find out the cause of all this distress. 

Daniel looked at Verne, who nodded, and opened the door. She let out a shocked gasp. Inside the house lay four Koopas, all of them dead. Verne left her alone for a moment so she could get over the shock, before he spoke.

“There are no survivors” he said, his voice breaking and tears filling his eyes.

Edith looked at him with great sympathy, the mysterious events were weighing heavily on Verne’s shoulders. Being the mayor, he had decided not to tell the rest of the island about the multiple disappearances for fear of scaring them. There was no way he could cover up the slaughter of an entire village. Edith put a hand on his shoulder “Did you manage to get in contact with Kamek, I’m sure he could tell us whether Silas has returned. He would be able to sense his magic easily”.

Verne nodded, “He said he should be here soon”.

As if on cue, Kamek materialised in front of them, making Edith jump.

“Sorry m’dear” he adjusted his glasses, looking rather dishevelled “teleportation has never been the easiest mode of transport for me.” Once his glasses were in place, he recognised who she was “Ah, Edith…” he spoke in his deep, croaky voice “It is wonderful to see you again, I am so sorry it has to be under similar circumstances to the last time I saw you”.

She tried her best to smile, the last time she had seen Kamek had been at Johann’s funeral, but she could feel the tears building up, so Kamek hastily changed the subject.

“Verne.”

Verne stood to attention “Yes, sir?”

“When did you find all of these bodies?”

“This morning, I was doing the usual rounds with Quinn and Daniel to check on the residents”, he explained “we have been trying to visit everyone in order to see that any disappearances are accounted for.”

Kamek didn’t wait to be shown in. He hobbled into the house that Edith had just peered into and assessed the four bodies.

“Hmm, that’s interesting, there is no bruising at all on them and no blood either, that would certainly suggest that it was a strong magical spell that killed them…” he pulled out his wand and used magic to check for any internal injuries, but found none.

“Do you think that Silas killed them?” Edith inquired. Kamek turned to her, bemused.

“Well, there are no external or internal injuries on any of their bodies, which strongly suggests that it was magic that killed them, but it would have had to have been a powerful spell, which is even more concerning, as Silas was dangerous enough in the first place. I find it especially concerning that I cannot detect his magic trail because as a Magikoopa, I should be able to sense others magic, especially powerful magic, but I cannot on this occasion, which means that he has become powerful enough to block others from feeling his power. The only condolence I can offer is that these Koopas would not have suffered, there would have been more damage otherwise.” He stared sadly at the bodies in front of him.

Verne continued speaking with Kamek, Verne and Daniel, but Edith decided that she would go outside and get some fresh air in order to gather her thoughts. As she turned to the door, something caught her eye. A small red splodge on the back of the door.

“Kamek, vould you be able to identify the culprit by his blood?” she inquired. Kamek strode over to her and only had to have a brief look at the mark before he could decipher the culprit. 

“It is indeed Silas. Although I think we had that figured out anyway” he remarked. “He was injured and he used magic to wipe away any trace of him being here, but he didn’t manage to complete his work, I would imagine that he heard you coming and didn’t want to risk further injury, but…”

“Vhat?” Edith questioned him as he stared thoughtfully “Vhat are you thinking about?”

Kamek looked at her “Silas doesn’t have the ability to teleport” he spoke calmly, “so that means he could still be here.”

A loud thud came from upstairs, and the group froze. Kamek refused to be held back by fear and called out “Silas, my friend, we didn’t think you were going to give us the pleasure of your company”.

Edith felt herself and the others recoil at the sound of someone descending the stairs. A tall, slim Koopa with tan complexion stepped out of the shadows, he had a grey spiked shell and long, slick black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. There was a bloodstain across his chest, but the wound appeared to have been healed with magic. He shot them a piercing glare through icy blue eyes.

“Well done,” he remarked condescendingly “I thought that I had managed to cover up my trail, although it was only a matter of time before I would have made my presence known.”

He grinned at Edith in a sinister manner. 

“Edith Von Koopa, I wish I could say I was sorry for your husband’s death, but alas, I am not. That idiot almost told you that I was back. I put a stop to that though!” He threw back his head and laughed. “Isn’t it funny to think he drowned in a lake called ‘Sunset Waters’, that’s certainly where the sun set for him!” He laughed even harder at this. Edith could feel the hot tears stinging her eyes. She had always had her suspicions about Johann’s death and this had finally confirmed them.

For a moment, Silas looked rueful. “It’s just a shame I didn’t manage to kill off little Ludwig as well, I was so hoping he would drown too”.

“You’re a monster!” Edith bellowed, lunging for him but being caught by Quinn and Daniel as she did so.

Silas paid no attention to her remark but continued talking as if she weren’t even there. “I would have managed it if someone hadn’t intervened” he said, shooting a hateful glance at Kamek.

“Don’t look at me”, the wizard replied, “I wasn’t anywhere near Glass Island on that day, but I wish I had been, maybe Johann would still be alive then”.

Silas snorted at this. “Don’t think that your pathetic magic can stop me, old man. You and Bowser may have stopped me the first time, but I am stronger now, you won’t be so lucky this time. And who else could have cast up the massive wave that pulled Ludwig to shore?”  
Kamek shrugged. “There are more of us out there you know” he said sarcastically.

“Can the sarcasm” Silas retorted.

“What do you want, Silas?” Verne demanded.

“Well, my original plan was to just dispose of Bowser by getting my hands on that book you are hiding from me, then I would be able to become King of the Koopas myself. But now, only being King of the Koopas seems a rather unimportant goal, when I can harness enough power to take over the entire world. Don’t think that that means I won’t destroy everyone on this island for rising up against me, though. I swore I would and I never break a promise.”

“No one would ever be willing to accept you as king” Edith hissed.

Silas shrugged. “Who said they would be willing? I will make them.”

Edith shuddered at his words, but Kamek remained as calm as always. 

“Very well, then, I don’t suppose there’s much we can do to stop you at present,” he sighed, “I guess we will just have to go our separate ways for now, until the aforesaid day you mentioned arrives”.

Everyone, Silas included, stared at him incredulously.

“What? We are completely unarmed. What is the use of fighting such a formidable enemy?” Kamek questioned.

Edith could detect a hint of mockery in his tone. What was he planning?

“Farewell then, Silas, until we meet again”. Kamek moved away from the door, as if he were showing him the exit.

Silas looked baffled. 

“You mean, you’re expecting to leave this place – alive?”

“I must confess I was, Silas – or should I say Your Highness, seeing as you already pretty much consider yourself the King?”.

Silas glared at him, “Watch your tongue, old man.”

Kamek sighed again. “You have much to learn my boy, much to learn”.

Silas pulled out a long black wand that had on top of it a large purple stone. The stone glowed brightly, signalling how powerful it’s owner was. Still Kamek appeared unmoved.

For a moment, no-one moved. Edith could hear the waves breaking on the shores of the lake and the whispers of the long grass outside, swaying in the gentle breeze. Then, all was a flurry of motion. Silas launched towards Kamek, who jumped out of the way, causing Silas to run smack into the middle of a wall, Verne grabbed hold of Edith and ran outside the building, with Daniel and Quinn in hot pursuit. Once outside, they observed the battle between the wizard and the magician. Silas shot a red blast from his wand, which Kamek deflected before grabbing his broom and taking to the sky. Silas, who had no need for a broom, simply levitated up towards him. Edith, meanwhile, was trying to figure out Kamek’s plan. He would not have provoked Silas if he had not had one.

It didn’t take long for everything to become clear, though. Kamek lured Silas higher into the sky, waiting for him to come just close enough…

Silas fired again, but this time, Kamek deflected the volley and vanished into thin air, appearing right behind Silas as he was using his wand to create a barrier to deflect the ricocheting spell. In less than a second, Kamek shot a spell at his wand, cracking the stone that contained the source of his power, but not managing to entirely obliterate it, as he had evidently hoped for he now teleported again, this time back to where the others were standing. Silas let out a roar as he plummeted back to earth, falling into the lake. Kamek cracked his wrists.

“Phew!” he exhaled. “That was much harder than it used to be. An old wizard like me should really refrain from such things. But really-” he said as he watched a sopping wet, bedraggled Silas emerge from the lake “Am I to blame? The boy really had it coming. He even had the nerve to call himself a wizard. A wizard! A wizard would never seek to corrupt their magic as he does! The audacity of some Koopas!” 

Silas glared at Kamek, at all of them, from the shores of Sunset Waters. 

“Don’t think that you will always win, I will have the upperhand next time.” He turned to go, but Quinn stopped him.

“Hey, Silas!”

“What!” he bellowed across at him.

Quinn paused, looking slightly afraid at what he was about to say, but going through with it nevertheless “Don’t you want a towel?” he grinned at him and Daniel snorted audibly.

Silas’ glare stopped him, “I will be sure to remember those words for when we meet again, Quinn Koopa.” he threatened, before using his now dysfunctional wand to summon a pipe to take him to another kingdom. 

Edith was the first to speak after he had gone. “What are we going to do? Silas always made good on his threats in the past, what if he comes back - what if – what if he kills Ludwig, or any of you?” she started to cry, unable to hold back the tears any longer. “I don’t want him to hurt anyone else I love!”

Kamek put his hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. “It will all be fine, Edith. We are stronger than him, no matter how much magic he has.” He smiled kindly, “Because we have love, something that Silas has never ever had, otherwise how could his magic be so evil and twisted? Bowser knows about his return and is preparing an army to face him once again.” He whispered to her “And just between you and me, I found him much more manageable when he was nineteen, just remember how grumpy he was then!”

Edith managed a laugh. Whenever Kamek was around, humour was never far away, and she appreciated it very much, but she could still not shake the feeling of dread that had been building up now for so many months.

“I hate to question you, Sir”, Verne always referred to Kamek as ‘sir’, “but why would you waste so much energy on a useless fight like that?”

Kamek tossed his head. “I’ll have you know that it was not a useless fight. He could have killed us quite easily had I not started it, and besides-” he pulled out a small fragment of purple stone from his robe pocket “I got a piece of his wand. He can’t regain full power without it”.  
Verne made a noise of surprise. “What are you going to do with it?” he questioned.

“I will give it to someone to look after until the time comes to defeat Silas properly”, he answered.

“We need to get back to Astrowatch,” Verne said, “I need to figure out how I am going to address the town about what has happened.

“I wouldn’t tell them about Silas’ return, that will send them into a panic.” Kamek warned. “I suggest you set up a cordon around Silverlake for the time being”. He looked up at the sun. It was midday, judging by its position. “I will take you back to Astrowatch. He would attack you again if he knew you were heading back without magical protection, but he wouldn’t dare attack you in the town, there are too many Koopas there to stop him”.

“It’s alright,” Edith told Verne “we will find a way to stop him. Forever this time.”

Verne cast her a doubtful look as they all began to head back home.  
***  
Ludwig arrived home at around 4:30. It was a warm summer afternoon and he looked forward to sitting in the garden with a glass of watermelon cordial, one of his mother’s specialities.  
He was rather shocked when he arrived home to see that his mother had company. When he went into the kitchen, he found her sitting at the table with an elderly Koopa whom he had not seen before. She had short white hair and wore a silver robe instead of a shell.  
She smiled warmly at Ludwig as he entered the room.

“My darling, you must be Ludwig.” Before Ludwig could exit the room, she had him in a warm embrace. “Your mother has told me so much about you, I am so glad I got to meet you myself” she beamed at him through her gold rimmed spectacles. Ludwig relaxed a little. Normally he was nervous around new people, but he felt like he could trust this lady.

“Luddy, this is Veronika, she is an old friend of mine from where I lived before we moved here.” 

“It’s been so wonderful talking with your mother, Ludwig, and I am so happy that I got to meet you, I am very sorry that I can’t stop and speak for longer, I am due to catch an airship in half an hour, so I must be on my way.”

Ludwig’s eyes widened, “You have an airship?” he breathed.

“Yes, I have decided to go on a flying tour of the Kingdoms whilst I am still able because, as you can see, I am getting on a little bit in years. You must come for a ride on the airship - Ebenezer, she’s called. Edith has told me how much you love them. I hear you plan on building them when you are older”

Ludwig positively beamed. “I would love to accompany you someday. I don’t only want to be an architect though; I also want to be a musician and a scientist” he corrected her.

“Ah, of course, how silly of me to forget. Well, you are a very clever young man and I wish you all the luck in the world for your future endeavours. In fact, I’ll make a deal with you.” Veronika took a necklace from around her neck, it was a very pretty piece of purple stone attached to a leather cord. “I would like you to look after this necklace for me, Ludwig. You must promise me that you will always wear it and never give it away. If you promise me this, you may come for a ride with me in Ebenezer the next time I visit”.

This was an odd promise, thought Ludwig, but he willingly accepted nevertheless and Veronika placed the necklace around his neck. The piece of stone on it caught his attention, he hadn’t seen anything like it before, it seemed to shimmer all by itself, as if it were magic.  
When he looked up he saw that his mother was seeing Veronika to the door, they were murmuring to each other in low voices so he couldn’t make out exactly what they were both saying, all he caught was something his mother said: “Are you sure about this?” and part of Veronika’s reply “I am-”, but her voice seemed to have changed. It now sounded croaky and more masculine, but he didn’t question it. He waved at her from the lounge window and then went back into the kitchen to help his mother make dinner. Usually this was an activity he would have enjoyed, but tonight something was different about his mother, she had an unusual expression on her face, but he couldn’t place it.

“Is something vrong?” he asked her.

For a moment, she looked as though she was going to cry, but she turned to him and smiled.

“No, everything is fine Luddy, I am just feeling rather tired. How vas your day at school?”

Ludwig recounted the days events and Edith listened to him intently, relishing the sound of her son’s voice. She and Johann had promised all those years ago that they would protect Ludwig, no matter what. Now, she only had to trust herself to do it. 

Later that evening, when his mother had gone to bed, Ludwig sat at the desk in his room and studied the stone on his necklace. There was something about it that captivated him. When he looked into it, really looked into it, he felt a warm sensation flood through his body, like embers from a fire. There was something about it that made him feel safe and powerful. The purple light inside it glowed brighter the harder he concentrated on it, which was interesting, he wasn’t sure what that meant, but hopefully he would be able to find out someday.  
After a while, he slid out of his shell and put on a pair of navy pyjamas with mini silver airships embroidered on them that he had received a few years ago from a relative who had been visiting them. He had never grown very much and was not expected to grow much more due to his parents short stature, so they still fitted him well. He snuggled under the covers of his bed and was sent off to sleep by the sounds of waves breaking in the distance and a chorus of crickets.


End file.
